Distributed by

Release date

February 12 2019

Running time

110 Minutes

Country

United States

United Kingdom

Language

English

Budget

The MOST successful Robert Zemeckis animated movie!

Thomas and the Magic Railroad (also known as Thomas the Tank Engine: The Magic Railroad in the United Kingdom and Germany) is a 2019 American 3D live-action/CGI animated family comedy adventure fantasy film directed by Robert Zemeckis and Britt Allcroft based on three titled The Railway Series by Rev. W. Awdry, on the television series of the character from the same name and Shining Time Station by Britt Allcroft.

The film is a remake of the 2000 original film of the same name by the same director who created the film named Britt Allcroft, but it was a box-office bomb and a critical failure from critics and the fandom of the book and the show for the plot that was changed from the original cut, terrible acting, and the editing which had made the editor shortened the time of the main character and removed the true villain when it released on 2000, which in the 2019 version, it has all the characters like P.T. Boomer, Tasha and even George from the film and not been edited from before along with the help of Robert Zemeckis.

It was produced by ImageMovers, Legendary Pictures, and HiT Entertainment, presented in association with the Isle of Man Film Commission, and distributed by Universal Pictures in US prints and along with Sony Pictures Entertainment (who originally known as Destination Films and Columbia Pictures also created the 2000 film) in US and international prints.

The film was a box office success and it received critical acclaim, with critics praising the faithfulness to the 2000 film's original director's cut, the visual effects, the CGI animation on the trains, splendid acting, well-developed characters, and the plot along with the performance of Nicolas Cage as P.T. Boomer. The film also become the fourth highest grossing film and won eight Academy Awards and received eight Academy Award nominations. At the UK, the film had won three BAFTA Film Awards and also got one BAFTA nomination.

Contents

Plot

The film begins with a Thomas the Tank Engine. Thomas is a really useful engine who is very kind to his friends. A few seconds later, Thomas met Gordon at Wellsworth Station, telling him that Sir Topham Hatt was gone for a holiday. But then, Diesel 10 rudely pass both Thomas and Gordon, which means that Diesel 10 was sent to the Island of Sodor by Sir Topham Hatt for helping, but he was acting like he was bullying any engines. Lilly lives in a city with her mom and dad thinking what she might do with her Granddad her mom comes over saying

Cast

Live-action actors

Kate Melton as Lily Stone, the main human protagonist and the granddaughter of Burnett Stone. She lives in the city with her mother. With the help of her grandpa, Patch and Thomas, they helped restore Lady to her former glory and returned the magic to the Magic Railroad.

Owen Wilson as Burnett Stone, the tetartagonist who is Lady's caretaker on his workshop at Muffle Mountain. Long ago, he only shared the secret of Lady with Tasha, his childhood friend.

Josh Hutcherson as Teenage Burnett

Max Charles as Young Burnett

Alec Baldwin as Mr. Conductor, the deuteragonist of the film and a 20-centimetre tall conductor who narrated the television series episodes that appeared in Shining Time Station.

David Tennant as Mr. Conductor, Junior, Mr. Conductor's cousin. Like his cousin, he is at a regular height on Sodor and the Magic Railroad - anywhere else, he shrinks to a height of 24 centimetres (ten inches).

AnnaSophia Robb as Tasha

Scarlett Estevez as Young Tasha

Nicolas Cage as P.T. Boomer, Pete Tiberius Boomer is the main antagonist who wants to get revenge on Burnett Stone for marrying Tasha. Boomer wants to destroy Lady along with Diesel 10, so they can take over the whole Thomas & Friends universe.

Scott McCord as Young Boomer

Nick Palatas as Patch

Jennifer Lawrence as Stacy Jones

Jeff Bridges as Billy Twofeathers

Drew Barrymore as Mrs. Bethany Stone

George Clooney as Sir Topham Hatt

Hayden Rolence as Burnett Stone, Jr.

The Umbilical Brothers as Thomas's Fireman and Driver

Matthew Lillard as Duck's Driver

There are some cameo appearances in the film like:

Alexander Gould as Newspaper Delivery Boy

John Bellis as Shining Time Firefighter

Robert Zemeckis as Himself (He appears in a mid-credits scene along with Britt Allcroft to tell the audience that he and Britt hoped the audience enjoyed the movie)

Britt Allcroft as Herself (She appears in a mid-credits scene along with Robert Zemeckis to tell the audience that she and Zemeckis hoped the audience enjoyed the movie)

Ringo Starr as Storyteller (He appears in a scene where he tell stories about Thomas and his friends in the Island of Sodor to the children)

Doug Walker as Himself (He makes a cameo appearance when he was late for his train)

Voice actors of animated characters

Steam Engines

UK/AUS

Michael J. Fox as Thomas

Keith Wickham as Percy, Skarloey and Sir Handel

Britt Allcroft as Lady

Jim Broadbent as Toby

Ringo Starr as Gordon

Hugh Laurie as Henry

Rob Rackstraw as James

Grey DeLisle as Rosie

Kath Soucie as Emily

Rowan Atkinson as Edward

John Hasler as Rheneas

Steven Kynman as Duck and Peter Sam

Tom Stourton as Duncan

US

Edward Glen as Thomas

Linda Ballantyne as Percy

Britt Allcroft as Lady

Colm Feore as Toby

Neil Crone as Gordon

Kevin Frank as Henry

Susan Roman as James

Nicola Stapleton as Rosie

Neve Campbell as Emily

Matthew Broderick as Edward

Keith Wickham as Skarloey and Sir Handel

John Hasler as Rheneas

Steven Kynman as Duck and Peter Sam

Tom Stourton as Duncan

Diesels

UK/AUS

Arnold Schwarzengger as Diesel 10

Steven Kynman as Paxton and Dart

Keith Wickham as Den, Salty and Norman

Bob Golding as Sidney

Thomas F. Wilson as Splatter

Seth MacFarlane as Dodge

Tim Curry as Diesel

Joe Pesci as 'Arry

Daniel Stern as Bert

Matt Wilkinson as Rusty

Helena Bonham Carter as Daisy

Emma Watson as Mavis

James May as BoCo

US

Matt Wilkinson as Diesel 10 and Rusty

Steven Kynman as Paxton and Dart

Keith Wickham as Norman, Den and Salty

Bob Golding as Sidney

Neil Crone as Splatter

Kevin Frank as Dodge

Kerry Shale as Diesel and 'Arry

William Hope as Bert

Teresa Gallagher as Mavis

Tracy-Ann Oberman as Daisy

Michael Angelis as BoCo

Diesel 10 is the secondary antagonist who was been hired by Sir Topham Hatt but he have an aggressive behavior and he was going to destroy Lady, (Rusty, Mavis, Salty, Den, Dart, Paxton, Norman, Sidney and BoCo are friends of Thomas), he was being a bully of Thomas and his friends. Diesel, Daisy, 'Arry and Bert like to get into trouble, but they always did so, until they Diesel 10's henchmen.

Production

Development

In 2003, 3 years after the original film became a box-office failure, Britt Allcroft, creator of Thomas & Friends, has been resigned from her original company which was now known as "Gullane Entertainment". After HiT Entertainment took control on Thomas & Friends, HiT revealed that its theatrical division would be piloted by a "Thomas" film. Originally targeted for late-2010 release, in September 2009 this was revised to "Spring 2011".

As of January 2011, the release date had been pushed back further to 2012 and the name of the production had still not been announced. The initial draft of the script was written by Josh Klausner who has also said that the film will be set around the times of World War II, Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi also helped write the script. On 8 June 2011, Deadline announced that 9 director Shane Acker will direct the live-action adaptation of Thomas the Tank Engine, with Weta Digital designing the film's visual effects.

Since then, no actual production has been announced, until Robert Zemeckis came in and remake the original "Thomas and the Magic Railroad" film, along with Britt Allcroft, to bring in new actors to play the characters from the original "Thomas and the Magic Railroad" film (except Alec Baldwin, in which he will reprise his role as Mr. Conductor), new voice actors to play the animated Thomas & Friends characters, video editing and restoration, audio mastering, mixing, recording, and editing, CGI animation for the "Island of Sodor" segments, blue-screen and green-screen effects for the "Island of Sodor" segments, new visual effects, and some brand new music, along with the original music from the original "Thomas and the Magic Railroad" film.

Casting

While the film is on development, Robert Zemeckis hired Alec Baldwin who previously played as Mr. Conductor in the original 2000 film, so Baldwin agreed to reprise his role.

Animation

The Animation From "Big World Big Adventures" (2018) Was Used (Because It was Shiny and Looking Colorful), But the Movements in Most Scenes are a Little More Smoother and More Realistic.

Visual Effects

"Industrial Light and Magic" Made the Effects for "The Magic Railroad" (Railroad) and Magic Sparks in Every Scene that Involves Sparks.

Music

In June 19 2017, Randy Newman was Picked to Score this Film, But He Did not Have Time, Since He Had to Score "Toy Story 4]" (2019), So, In November 16 2017, John Debney Decided that He Can Score the Movie Instead of Randy Newman, John Debney Started Working on It on April 16 2018 and Will Most Likely Finish on September 18 2018.

Release

Thomas and the Magic Railroad is set to release into theaters on February 12, 2019 in America.

Thomas and the Magic Railroad will also be releasing on DVD, Blu-ray, and Blu-ray 3D on the late 2019, Along with the 2019 film and the Shining Time Station Volumes 1, 2, and 3 on DVD and Blu-ray.

Animated shorts

The 2019 remake of "Thomas and the Magic Railroad" has four computer-animated shorts which was the recreation of well-known episodes from the original television series like Thomas and Bertie, Thomas Goes Fishing, Thomas and Gordon and Down the Mine by HiT Entertainment in theatrical releases (Possibly coming out in a 2020 film & a 2021 film) and on DVD and Blu-ray.

Marketing

About a few weeks later after the film's release, Bachmann Industries released a model of Shining Time Station and even the Island of Sodor along with train models of Thomas, Lady, and Diesel 10 and some human models of Burnett Stone, Lily, Mr. Conductor, and P.T. Boomer.

Home media

[When the film is done development]

Soundtrack

Thomas and the Magic Railroad/Soundtrack

Broadway musical

One year after the movie's release, the film will be adapted into a Broadway musical based on the movie titled Thomas and the Magic Railroad: The Musical.

Reception

Box office

[When the film is done development]

Critical response

[When the film is done development]

Sequels

Before the release of the film, Robert Zemeckis & Britt Allcroft are thinking about turning the whole film into an all-new theatrical Thomas & Friends movie franchise that was also related to the original Thomas & Friends franchise. This franchise was known as Thomas & Friends Cinematic Universe. Since the franchise was born, Britt Allcroft was developing a sequel to the 2019 TATMR reboot, which was based on "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens and the Veggietales video "An Easter Carol" from Big Idea Entertainment. Although the sequel doesn't have the official title yet, Allcroft named the Thomas & Friends sequel "A Sodor Easter Carol".

The film Might be released on Easter 2022, with the script being written by Keith Lango, Tim Hodge, and Britt Allcroft, who will also return as director and producer. Robert Zemeckis, who might have been interested in holidays since he previously worked on The Polar Express in 2004, will return as director of the sequel, Or it Might be a Different Sequel about Something Different.

Trivia

This film has been used on the 2000 film that it was edited because this film was too scary for young audiences which the true main villain P.T. Boomer was cut, so in the 2019 film it still has P.T. Boomer. This is likely of the film is rated PG instead of the G rating the original 2000 version had.

It also has George in the film which in the 2000 film he's omitted.

Plus the other engines from the television series in the story.

Special thanks to Britt Allcroft for the four parts of the script from the 2000 film with all the characters and even too Eddie Kennedy in fan-fiction of the plot.

This is the first Thomas the Tank Engine production to officially distributed by Universal Pictures.

The moment when the cartoon Weta uses a rope to flip to the next page is a reference to the scene when 5 members of Plankton's family used ropes to pull the door to the fake Krabby Patty Secret Formula in the Spongebob Squarepants episode "Plankton's Army"

Doug Walker (who play as the Nostalgia Critic) was his second appearance in the film, his first role is the Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie, which Britt Allcroft find it really great of his performance from the Nostalgia Critic's review of her first film, even though it wasn't as successful as the other Thomas & Friends films which are now currently direct-to-video films and/or TV specials at the time being.

Randy Newman Was Gonna Compose this Film, But He Had to Compose "Toy Story 4", So John Debney Composed this Film (Hans Zimmer and John Powell Did Not Compose This Film, John Debney Did).

This film runs 1 hour and 50 minutes.

The Wilhelm Scream will Appear in this Movie.

The Main Protagonists are Thomas and Lily Stone

The First Teaser will Be Released on Some Screenings of "Something to Talk About 3" (2018)